by Kayla Myles
Rebecca is in for the shock of her life when she meets Michael Gardner, the newest addition, and her partner, as well as the man who destroyed her heart many years ago.
Michael is surprised to meet his former flame, and sees this moment as an opportunity to rekindle the bond broken between them. But how can he do that when the girl he left behind is now a woman determined to have nothing to do with him?
Tanner Lee’s reputation in the music industry has reached a point where going out unprotected is no longer an option, more so for his daughter, Elizabeth, who he already hardly ever has time for. While he plays his bad boy image down to a T, a bigger part of him just wants to be the doting father Elizabeth needs and deserves. He hires Rebecca and Michael to protect them, and the spark that ignites between him and Rebecca is too strong to deny…
With feelings she thought she’d buried to the ground starting to resurface, can Rebecca and Michael work things out before their issues threaten to jeopardize the mission? Or will Tanner and Rebecca cross the forbidden line and find their own happy ending…with each other?
Prologue
“Hang on, kid! I’ve got you!” I said, trying to reassure the little girl as she held on as tightly as she could. I gritted my teeth and forced my eyes to concentrate on Beth’s face instead of the hundred foot drop below. I knew all too well what happens to a person falling from that distance on solid concrete, and the possibility of getting lightheaded from the sight of it wasn’t going to help me keep this child alive.
“Becca, I’m scared,” she cried, pools of unshed tears forming in her eyes, her lower lip trembling violently. I shook my head, trying to reassure her, and hoping the panic beatings of my heart weren’t as loud as I thought.
“Everything is going to be okay, kiddo,” I assured her. I tried to smile, but my pathetic attempt just resulted in a slight grimace. “Everything is gonna--,”
My words turned into a cry of surprise as I felt the metal platform’s hinges snap off the wall, shaking off slightly, and making Beth scream with fright. The movement caused me to slide down a bit, and I held my other hand out for some purchase.
Miraculously enough, the puffy skirt of the gown I was wearing snagged into one of the pointy metal beams and stopped me from sliding to my death, and I grabbed onto a metal bar to steady myself.
Beth was holding on to my hand with all the strength a six year old kid could summon, her eyes screwed shut as she whimpered in fright. I didn’t need her to see what I looked like after sliding, because I was sure I was white as a sheet.
“It’s going to be okay,” I reassured her again, the words starting to taste like a lie. How was I going to guarantee her safety when I didn’t know how we were going to get out of here? It was too unstable to pull her up, and we were too high up, and there was nothing down there but spectators and concrete pavements.
My strength was also starting to fail me as my arm was nearly reaching its limit. I could not hold onto her for long.
But what was I going to do? THINK, DAMN IT! THINK!
I could feel my gown ripping to its last stitches, and I was starting to lose hope, half dangling on the precipice when something down below caught my eye. I blinked once, twice, making sure I wasn’t merely hallucinating.
Yes. I thought, my confidence rebuilding. This could work.
I looked at Beth again, the little girl taking note of the determined look on my face. I steeled my voice and asked her a question.
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
Beth nodded immediately and without hesitation.
“I trust you,” she voiced out.
I smiled at her, and took one more glance at the ground below. I looked back at her again, the smile still on my face.
And then…I let her go.
Chapter 1
Rebecca
I crouched down and held my weapon at the ready, ducking to the side of a wall for cover. I looked around to check if there were any enemies lurking around, almost jumping out of my skin when Jason suddenly plopped down on the other side and held his weapon tightly in his fingers. I glared at him.
“I told you to tap me on the shoulder if you were coming near me!” I hissed. “I could’ve screamed bloody murder and given away our location!” he rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“But you didn’t,” he said. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back from snarling a reply, and went back to surveying our surroundings. “How many are left?”
I smirked at his question.
“Three, but one of them doesn’t excel in sneaking around,” I answered. Jason chuckled and nodded in agreement.
My ears twitched as I picked up the light crunching of boots on the floor, and I signaled Jason towards its direction. The mirth on his face disappeared, and he raised his head slightly to peek at them.
“All three, present and accounted for,” he muttered.
“Stupid idiots,” I said, shaking my head. We nodded to each other and listened carefully, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
I held my breath and trained my eyes on the ground, watching as my target took steps towards my hiding spot. Just a little bit closer...
His foot peeked out from my cover and I stood up, holding my weapon out. I aimed the tip at the surprised look on his face, and fired before quickly switching to another guy, taking him out too. Beside me, Jason had quickly dispatched the last of them, and I watched with smug satisfaction as the light on his vest went out, signaling his defeat.
The sound of victory played from the speakers, further taunting the losers, and making them groan as they pulled their masks off their heads. Spencer’s blonde and slightly spiky hair stood up as he scowled at me.
“Why do you have to take this so seriously?” Spencer complained, his half-brother Chase snickering beside him. “I mean, we’re using wands, for crying out loud!”
I shrugged as Jason patted my shoulder.
“Rebecca hasn’t changed one bit since I last saw her,” Jason said. “She’s always been a fiery and competitive girl, in and out of the mission. It’s why she’s regarded highly in her platoon,” he complimented.
“Oh, so you’re some kind of big shot on your team, huh Red?” Spencer drawled. I shook my head in embarrassment.
“It’s not like that,” I muttered.
“Well, either way, I’m glad she’s on our side now,” Chase remarked. “She’s going to make a fine addition to our roster.”
“Why did you quit your old agency, anyway?” Spencer asked, one eyebrow raised in skepticism. I shrugged again.
“I wanted more, and they didn’t like it, so I quit and looked for another place that agreed I deserved better,” I admitted. That was only half of it, though. The other half was because I liked working with Spencer and the rest of his team a hell of a lot better than the uppity bastards where I used to work. Switching to Chase’s firm was the easiest decision I ever made.
“Where are the girls?” I asked, wondering why they didn’t come to play with us.
“My girl got a little over excited about shopping with her cousin, so they opted to meet with us at the restaurant after our game,” Jason said, making Spencer snicker as he slapped him on the back.
“Man, you’ve got it bad, huh?” Spencer drawled. “‘My girl’? Seriously?” Jason’s cheeks colored into a tinge of pink, but he said nothing, not denying Spencer’s claims.
“Lay off the man, Spence. The guy can’t help it if he’s whipped already. He is getting married, after all,” Chase said, “Besides, like you’re one to talk. How far al--,”
Spencer’s eyes widened, and he frantically covered his older brother’s mouth, cutting him off from saying anything else. He looked at me with worry, and my eyes narrowed.
“What are you hiding?” I growled. I’ve never liked being kept in the dark. And I could tell from the look on Spencer’s face that whatever he was trying to keep from me, was something I wasn’t going to like one bit.
“Let’s go and meet up wit
h the girls first, Rebecca. I think telling you about it with everybody present would be the wisest course here,” Jason suggested calmly, his arms tensed up, ready to break up a fight if need be.
“It’ll be really obvious what it’s about once she sees her, anyways,” Chase added, scratching the back of his head. I glared at the both of them.
“You two knew?” I asked, betrayal evident from my voice. Chase winced, and looked at me apologetically.
“Later, Rebecca,” Jason said firmly. “We’re disturbing the other players.”
I looked around and saw a group of teenagers looking at us curiously while giving us a wide berth. I sighed, then flashed a menacing glare at Spencer’s direction before stalking off towards the exit, my hands clenching around my plastic wand so tight I feared it was going to snap.
I wondered what Spencer had fucked up to piss me off now.
Chapter 2
Rebecca
“H-hello, Rebecca. How have you been?”
Her greeting had barely registered with me because my focus was on her round belly she kept rubbing with her hand. My eyes were wide, but one of them kept twitching, a physical manifestation of how my brain was fried upon seeing my best friend heavily pregnant.
Six months. It had only been six months since we last saw each other, and she’s like this.
I could tell from Georgiana’s hesitant greeting, as well as her inability to look me in the eye, that she had expected this reaction.
But she didn’t expect me to do this.
I grabbed Spencer by the collar and buried my fist into his face, digging my knuckles deep into his nose, and feeling it crush underneath them. I heard Georgiana and her cousin, Veronica, gasp and try to pull me from obliterating the man. I saw Chase stop George from getting any closer to me, while Jason inserted both of his arms underneath my armpits and wrenched me away from Spence, grunting as I refused to relent from my assault.
“Rebecca, stop! Please!” George cried.
“Gentlemen, please! Restrain the lady or I will be forced to contact the authorities!” the manager of the restaurant shrieked as he walked closer to us, his balding head already glistening with sweat, worried about the scene we were making. I slackened my muscles and allowed Jason to pull me off of Spencer, the latter turning over to the side to spit out blood in his mouth.
His bottom lip popped, and his nose was broken, he murmured as he touched the bridge with two of his fingers. Still, his expression didn’t seem the least bit mad that I mauled him. On the contrary, he looked a little relieved, and apologetic.
“I guess I deserved that,” he croaked. “You throw a hell of a punch.”
To hell with his compliment.
“You stupid shit!” I hissed, my eyes flaring. Jason had wrapped an arm around my waist to make sure I didn’t make a move on Spencer again. A smart move, considering I didn’t know if I could control myself from strangling the bastard.
“It was an accident,” he said weakly.
“An accident?!” I repeated. “What? Was she crossing the road and tripped over your speeding dick?!” I muttered expletives under my breath that would make a sailor blush.
“My, my, what an uncouth mouth on such a woman,” Chase muttered.
“Shut up, Chase!” Veronica shushed.
“Okay, I admit I didn’t phrase that very well,” Spencer said, wincing.
“Everybody’s staring at us. Let’s go talk somewhere more private,” Jason murmured, looking at the restaurant’s patrons and staff with a surreptitious eye.
“I got it,” Veronica said, walking over to the host and putting her fame to use.
She managed to snag us a sweet private table at the VIP area, the place almost deserted except for a couple sitting at the small table by the window. We were seated at the corner overlooking the hall, Jason noting it was the best place to see any customers coming or going. I had to admire the guy for staying true to his job of protecting his girlfriend even while off-duty, but I was still seething.
The rest of my group decided to sit themselves strategically, making sure to keep Spencer at arm’s length, while George was seated next to him and across from me, in plain view of my anger. She kept her head down because she still couldn’t find the courage to look at me.
“I’m sure your parents were delighted about this development,” I said, and Veronica’s nose wrinkled.
“Well, they weren’t exactly ecstatic that their precious daughter is pregnant right after college,” she explained.
“How far along are you?” I asked.
“Thirty-one weeks,” George murmured. I mentally counted the days and snorted.
“So you got knocked up a month before you graduated,” I said. “Good job.”
“Hey, it’s not her fault,” Spencer snarled, rising a bit from his chair in an effort to protect his girlfriend. I raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to do something.
“Of course it’s not just her fault,” I said. “You’re equally to blame.”
“Guys, I am begging you. Let’s not ruin the moment here,” Chase stated, his voice uncharacteristically firm. He turned his head to look at me sternly. “Rebecca, I can understand this may be a little upsetting for you, but to be honest, this really is none of our business.”
I looked at him with alarm, my mouth poised to exchange barbs with him, but his unrelenting gaze shut me down and he continued to speak.
“Spencer and George are both mature adults who can make a decision about their lives and relationship without our interference. Also, shouldn’t we look at this as it truly is?” He asked. “This is a blessing, and I, for one, think we should celebrate.”
Chase wrapped his fingers around the stem of his wine glass and lifted it up, raising his eyebrows up too, and looking at all of us with wide eyes, silently imploring us to do the same. Taking his cue, Veronica smiled widely and raised her own glass.
Feeling appropriately ashamed, I begrudgingly followed suit, murmuring well-wishes as Chase finished his toast. I placed the glass back onto the table, and pushed myself off the chair as they drank. They all turned their eyes up, and looked at me curiously. I shrugged, pointing my thumb at the hall.
“Going to get some fresh air,” I muttered before walking away. I pushed the double doors out of the restaurant, and leaned against the brick wall, tilting my head up to feel the brisk cold wind on my face.
Now that the anger had dissipated from my body, the space it left behind was slowly filled with regret and shame. I didn’t mean to go off like that. I adored kids and valued the gift of life, and I am happy for them. But a part of me still thought it was too soon a responsibility for them to bear.
An image of me lying on the floor by the foot of the stairs, blood pooling underneath my body flashed into my brain, and I hissed, shaking my head to be rid of it.
“Damn it,” I cursed under my breath, closing my eyes. There was a reason people buried some memories deep into the darkest depths of their minds, and I didn’t need them resurfacing now.
Memories like that only bred one thing – weakness.
I felt something pull at my sleeve, and my eyes snapped open to look at George, who gave me a small smile, her eyes sad and puppy-like. I frowned as I saw her skin forming goose bumps from the cold, and I shrugged off my jacket and wrapped it around her shoulder to keep her warm.
“You shouldn’t be out here,” I scolded. “It’s not good for the baby if you caught a cold.”
She smiled at this, relief instantly flooding in her eyes.
“You’re not mad at me anymore?” she asked timidly, and I sighed.
“I was never mad at you,” I said softly. She raised her eyebrow in disbelief, and I rolled my eyes “Okay, maybe a little. But honestly? I was more…disappointed than anything else,” I admitted.
“You’re too young for this kind of responsibility, George. You and Spencer both. There are so many things you two could experience without a baby holding you back, but now, all of those would be te
n times harder to accomplish. And I’ve met your parents, so I doubt they were very forthcoming about this, were they?” She shook her head sadly.
“Even Darcy got mad at first, but he came around after a few days, and told me he was going to help and support me as best as he can,” George replied.
“So you can see where I’m getting at, right?” I asked. She nodded once more, tears starting to pebble from the corner of her eyes. I sighed again, and wrapped my arms around the girl, her belly preventing me from holding her properly.
“Look, I can understand the situation you’re in now, and as much as I think your boyfriend’s an idiot, I’m glad Spencer has your back,” I comforted her. “Being pregnant and alone is really hard, and I would never want that to happen to you.”
George frowned and furrowed her eyebrows at my words.
“What do you mean you can understand?” she asked.
I blanched at my slipup and scrambled for an excuse when the restaurant’s door opened, and Spencer popped out, a worried expression on his face.
“Hey, the snow’s starting to fall,” he said. “Let’s go inside and eat.”
